[natenqen]

This is just a silly question I guess, but it is interesting to know. This would more pertain to rescue rescued dogs.

Kuma when we first got him, we forgot to let him out and he left us a nice steamer. However it was hiding in the bathroom and I did what I was told. To say nothing, pick up the mess and throw it.

Well, ever since, if Kuma 'forgets' to do his business such as this morning. (He was let out and he did do his business and we went back inside.) Hubby said when he got up, Kuma left us another pile of steamer. But this time it was by the door. And just like instructed, he didn't say a thing, picked it up and threw it away.

So, here is my question.

Let's say Kuma's old owner(s) would get pissed off with Kuma when he did an accedent in the house and they rubbed his nose in it or dragged him to his mess and showed him and then slappped his behind. Then the next time, he does it, he hids it because he knows he might get punished for no reason.

Then, they send him to the pound where he is taken to another home. He makes one accedent that was the owner's fault and had decided in the bathroom was the only place he could 'hide' it. (We had closed all the doors except the bathroom because we didn't really know if he was fully house trained)

He see's when we get home that we didn't make a fuss, we didn't grab him and take him to the mess he made, cleaned it up and said nothing else. Does he realize that we are not like his old owners and decides that he is okay to do it by accedent near the door instead of trying to hide it or do they not think like that?

I'm pretty sure that things that happened bad to a dog, that something will happen and i do believe they will remember what that bad thing was. (As evident of how bad Kuma's anxiety about zooming cars skyrocketed.) That part got worse I think when we got back and the hotels we stayed near all had zooming vehicles all night and all day. We had to take him to the off leash dog park three times a day for him to do anything since he felt most comfortable there.

What do you guys think?

 

[Carl484a]

My dogs are reliable now, but when they were young I always told them that I was displeased when they left a mess. Nothing aggressive, just a "cut me some slack and take your business outside" look. I think they know what's going on.

 

[Dawnben]

If your dog is going inside he is not house trained. Unless the reason is that you forget to let him out. My dogs have always gone on a schedule. If you feed on a schedule they pretty much poo the same time every day. If he keeps going in the house it will become more frequent not less unless you prevent the accidents. I would start monitoring the times he goes and make sure he gets out. Praise and treat every time he goes out side.

 

[natenqen]

If your dog is going inside he is not house trained. Unless the reason is that you forget to let him out. My dogs have always gone on a schedule. If you feed on a schedule they pretty much poo the same time every day. If he keeps going in the house it will become more frequent not less unless you prevent the accidents. I would start monitoring the times he goes and make sure he gets out. Praise and treat every time he goes out side.

You're missing the point. Kuma is on a schedule and is house trained. We've had him for over 1 year now and this is the second time he's made an accedent. His first time was when we first got him and we 'forgot' to take him out, but we had closed all the doors except the bathroom and he pooed in the bathroom rather than by the door.

Then, the second time over 6 plus months later he does another accedent after I have let him out and witnessed him poo outside in the morning and him wanting to go back inside meant he was done. When I left for work, hubby said he got up a few hours later and saw he had pooed infront of the door. The first time, we said nothing, cleaned it up, threw it away and left it at that. The second time, hubby did the same thing, cleaned it up, threw it away and said nothing about it. The last time which would be the third time was when I got home the same day and he had this time pooed in a corner in our room rather then at the door like that morning.

My questions was weather or not a dog who's had several owners before us would revert back to the old ways of hiding their poo when they have to go.

I was using Kuma as an example. I don't know Kuma's past or about how his passed owners were except that he was surrendered two times.

I was saying, If Kuma's past owners would punish him for pooing inside the house, we all know that a dog would then go hide to poo because he knows he will be punished. Then, he gets good owners who understand accedence do and will happen and don't make a fuss about it, just cleans it up and act like nothing happened. Would he revert back to hiding it or would he realize we are not like those old owners and think it's okay to poo because I won't get punished or would he still think, they will punish me so I have to hide it?

 

[Tess]

I'd say the dog needed to poop and no one was there to take him out. There was urgency there, perhaps because of a small digestive upset... when you gotta go, you gotta go.

I've had "house trained" dogs have very occasional accidents too, and invariably when I analyze it, the dog couldn't help it because he had eaten something that spurred his gut to need to poop and I was not there to take him out.

If this is only the second time in a year this has happened, I would not read too much behaviorally into it. But be more aware that the dog's bowel habits may be changing due to a health or diet reasons, and make sure you give him plenty of chances to get outside more frequently.

You are doing right not to punish him. He clearly was trying to get out the door, so the failing is in his humans not being there for him, and of course the fact the dog does not have hands to open the door himself.

 

[natenqen]

True, I know it was our fault and he probably got into something when hubby takes him out for his hour and half walk/run. (He lets him off leash and run and sniff and mark all over the tundra)

So, if it happens again, I can be reassured that he knows we won't punish him so he doesn't have to hide it?

 

[Esand]

If a normally house trained dog has an accident its usually due to force majeure and not a training relapse.

I'm pretty sure that no matter how cool you are about cleaning up accidents he's still going to know it was something he shouldn't do (thats what house breaking is) and he may try to hide it.

I think if he does it by the door it's because he thought he could wait it out and was trying to be ready to go as soon as you got home. Maybe he goes to the bathroom because he could tell he wasn't going to have a chance of holding it and there for could choose the most appropriate spot.

 

[natenqen]

hmm. ok.